The present invention generally relates to a form for mailing an article requiring special services. More specifically, the present invention relates to a generic mailing label which may be configured to serve as a special service mailing label and which may be automatically dispensed by a mailing label vending machine. In addition, the present invention relates to a method and system for fully automating the imaging of a generic mailing label to configure the same as a special service mailing label.
It is, of course, known to provide specialized postal processing and handling of particular mailpieces. Such special services include the preparation of certified mail, registered mail, insured mail, recorded delivery mail, return receipt for merchandise mail, C.O.D. and the like. The primary disadvantage of such special service mailings is that they require a rather extensive amount of manual preparation and labor prior to mailing. The known procedures typically require printing or writing information on various slips of paper and then attaching such slips to the outside of an envelope or other mailpiece. Often, carbon paper is used to assist in making the attachments. As an example, to prepare a certified mailpiece, the forms are supplied by the United States Postal Service to the customer. The customer must separately address and complete a certified mailing receipt, both faces of a return receipt card, an envelope or mailpiece in which the mail is to be mailed and a request for return service on the face of the envelope. Then, the customer or postal service employee must affix each of the completed parts to the envelope using glue, an adhesive, tape or the like.
Clearly, the current methods known for preparing mailpieces or shipping items for special services are tedious, complicated, and labor intensive, particularly for businesses and institutions in which items such as notifications, reminders, or valuable documents are commonly sent by specialized mail services. In many instances, the delivery of such mailpieces must be documented by recording of U.S. Postal Service or other service return receipt when it arrives back to the sender. This task is also time consuming and has great potential for error when all of the identifying information from each return receipt card must be entered or recorded by hand.
Despite these shortcomings, the various special service types of mailing are still used extensively by individuals as well as companies. However, when the above-mentioned difficulties in processing such mail and preparing the same for mailing are multiplied by a large number of mailpieces, the time and labor intensive nature of preparing the special service mailings becomes quite costly and results in an inefficient use of employee time. Further complicating such procedures is the fact that different types of forms and envelopes are used for each different type of special mailing service.
A need, therefore, exists for an improved special service mailing assembly which can be prepared substantially automatically and which can be used for all types of special mailing services.